Cable tightener and puller



T. J. HUGHES.

CABLE TIGHTE-NER AND FULLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4,1920.

Patented NOV. 9, 1920.

a ww umaaw unrrso STATEHSI flajnnr OFFICE.

THOMAS J'. HUGHES, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-THIRD T 0 SAMUEL J. HUMES, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AND (PETE-THIRD TO JOHN P.

PATTEN, OF IEL'VA, WASHINGTON.

CABLE TIGHTENER AND FULLER.

Application filed March 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of ll' ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable Tighteners and Pullers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cable tighteners and more particularly to a device for drawing together separated ends oi a cable, which tend normally to draw apart, and also for pulling cables or other connections to vehicles which may have become displaced in position below the traveled portion of the highway,

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easily transported device which may be quickly attached to separated ends of abroken cable, whereby the two ends may be drawn together and attached.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device which can be readily anchored in a suitable position and utilized for pulling stumps from the earth and for various other purposes along this line.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device which can be quickly and readily anchored in position for various pulling operations and which can be easily operated by a single person :and wherein great power can be obtained with a small amount of physical exertion.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a pulling machine whereby a cable may be drawn inwardly to a certain distance and there held by a part of the machine while another part of the machine is projected to another position on the cable, attached to the same and then drawn an additional distance in the direction desired.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel features and construction and the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully .set forth, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cable tightener constructed in accordance with my 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

1920. Serial No. 363,141.

invention, parts thereof being broken away and illustrated in section,

Fig. 2 1s a detailed top plan view, parts of the device being broken away and illustrated in section, V M

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view,

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the parts in assembled position, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the supporting standard, parts of the same being broken away and illustrated in section.

Carrying out my invention, I provide a body member 1 having extending from one end thereof a tube in which is mounted for sliding movement a screw threaded rod 3.

,The body 1 is provided upon its interior with threads with which the rod 3 is en gaged so that upon turning movement of the rod 3, it will be moved inwardly into the u tube 2. The outer end of the rod 3 is provided as illustrated in Fig. 2 with the ring threads 4 which are adapted to engage with corresponding ring threads in the sleeve 5, so that as the rod 3 is drawn inwardly into the tube 2, the sleeve 5 will be pulled toward the body of the device. This sleeve 5 is preferably formed of two sections securely held in their respective positions by means of the transverse bolt 6. Formed integral with one of the sections of the sleeve 5 is a book 7 l H whereby a cable, rope or the like may be readily attached thereto.

In order to impart movement to the rod 3, I provide a beveled gear 8 which, is

mounted for rotation within the body 1 and connected with the rod 3 by means of a key 9 adapted to fit within a key-way 10 in the rod 3 whereby upon rotation of the gear 8,

the rod 3 will be rotated within thebody 1, .1

the screw threads tending to force the rod 3 inwardly into the tube 2 and thus draw the hook 7 toward the body l. I

The body 1 is provided with a pair of supporting arms 11 having suitable bearings .12 formed at their outer ends and disposed u on opposite sides of the beveled gear 8. h ounted within these hearings 12are suitable shaits upon the inner ends of which are mounted the gears 13 and 13, which are 7 adapted to mesh with the gear 8. The shaft upon which the gear 13 is mounted is'provided at its opposite end with a suitable wheel 14 provided with a handle 15 which may be readily grasped by the operator for 3 imparting movement to the gears so that the rod 3 may be drawn inwardly into the tube 2. If it is further desirable, the handle member may be provided with a suitable extension as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 for the provision of additional power.

The body 1 is provided upon one side thereof with a movable cover 16' hingedly connected to the main portion of the body as at 17 and adapted tojbe retained in closed position by means of the pivoted bolts 18 which, when the cover is in closed position, are swung upwardly and engaged with the bifurcated. ears 19 formed on the cover. In order that the bolts 18 may be securely fastened in position after being disposed within the bifurcations of the ears 19, suitable thumb nuts 20 are threaded upon the ends of the bolts and adapted to retain the cover in its closed position. V V

In order'that the rod 3 may be readily projected from the tube 2, upon being released, a coil "spring 21 is arranged within the inner end of the tube and adapted to bear against the inner end of the rod 3 so that when the rod is released, the tension of this spring will move the same outwardly within the tube. The tube 2 is provided upon its end opposite the body 1 with a ho'ok22 adapted for engagement with a cable '23 which is preferably attached to any suitable *statioi'iary object during the operation Of the machine.

The body 1 has integrally formed-at one side thereof a socket 24: having interior screw threads for engagement with the threads 25 upon the end of the tube 26. This tube 26 forms the upper portion of the standard upon which the body is supported and movable within this tube is a supportinglcg 27 v which is retained in various adjusted positions with respect to the tube 26 by means of the bolt 28 carried by the tube 26 and having its inner end adapted for engagement with the leg 27. Theou'ter end of the leg 27 is provided with a tapering point 29' so outer end a-hoo-k 32 provided Wltll a pivoted that the same maybe readily engaged with any object upon which the device is to be supported. It the-device is to be supported upon the earth, this poii'1t 29 may be driven into the earth asufiicient distance to readily support the body of the machine. It will be noted in ig. tum when the standard is detached from the socket 24 a suitable dust cap'30 is fitted over the threaded portion 25 of the tube 26 to prevent dust from accumuis not in use. l ormedfintegr'al with the bodyportion 1 of the machine is an arm 31 having upon its up; portion 33' to retain thetable, rope-or other member into engagement with the hook Tportion This hook 32 is placed in this position so that when the cable or rope is drawn inwardly by the hook 7, the cable or rope may be engaged with the hook 32 and retained until the hook 7 is projected outwardly to a further position along the rope or cable and again connected to tlie'same.

In the general operation of my improved cable tightener, the same is first set in position with the supporting standard in an upright position, the cable'23 which is attached to a stationary object is then engaged with the hook 22. The rod 3 is projected from the tube 2 by raising the cover 1601 the body so as to permit the rod 3 to be disengaged with the threads in the body 1, this operation being clearly illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the tension of the spring 21 forcing the rod 3 outwardly within the tube 2. After the rod 3 has been projected the desired distance, the hook 7 is then attached to the cable 34- and in order that the. cable 34 may be drawn toward the body .1 movement is imparted to the several gears through the rotation of the wheel 14: and

after the cable'3 1 has'been. drawn inwardly until the hook 7 is disposed in substantial alinement with the hook 32, the hook '7 is turned until the same is arranged directly 7 opposite the hook 32. Thecable isthen removed from the hook 7 onto the, hook 32 andretained in position until the rod 3 is again projected from the tube 2 so that the hook 7 may be engaged with the cable at another point thereon for further pulling movement' This operation may be continueduntil the desired result has been obtained. It will be readily noted that by having the sleeve 5 mounted upon theouter end of the rod 3 through the medium of the ring threads 1, this sleeve may be readily drawn toward the body member 1 through the movement of the rod 3 until the loop in the cable is engaged with the hook 32 or arranged in a position above the hook asillustrated in Fig. 1. After the loop in the cable has been engaged by the hook 32, the rod 3 isagain withdrawn from the tube 2and extended to a position where the hook member 7 can be engaged with a second loop 35, arranged at a suitable distance upon the cable from the end, the hook 7 is then engaged by this loop 35 and the operation repeated until the loop 35 is ar'ran gedin such ar'position that it can be readily connectedto the hook- 32. It will be apparent that several of these loops 35 may be arranged along the cable and the operation repeated 'as'above as'many times-as desired. I a

What I claim is: 1. A device of the class described including a body member, a tube connected therewith, a rod carried by the body, a hook member swiveled to one end of said rod, means for drawing the rod through the body and into the tube in one direction and means for ejecting said rod from the tube,

2. A device of the class described including a body member provided with interior screw threads, a tube extending trom one end of the body, a threaded rod arranged within the body and adapted to move there through, a hook swiveled to the outer end of the rod, means for rotating the rod whereby the same will move through the body and into the tube, means for retaining the rod into engagement with the threads of the body and means disposed within the tube for ejecting the rod therefrom upon release of the retaining means.

3. A device of the class described including a body member provided with interior screw threads, a tube extending from one end of the body, a rod adapted to be threaded through the body and into the tube, means for retaining the rod in engagement with the threads of the body and a coil spring disposed within the tube and bearing against the inner end of the rod to eject the same therefrom when the retaining means is released.

4:. A device of the class described including a body member provided with interior screw threads, a hinged cover carried by the body, a tube extending from one end of the body, a rod adapted to be threaded through the body and into the tube, a hook swiveled to one end of the rod, means for rotating the rod whereby the same will be moved by the body and into the tube and a coil spring disposed within the tube and bearing against the inner end oi the rod to eject the same from the tube when the cover member is released. 1

5. A device of the class described including a body member having interior screw threads, a tube extending from one end of the body, a standard for supporting said body, a rod threaded through the body and into the tube, a hook swiveled to one end of the rod, means for rotating said rod whereby the same is threaded through the body and into the tube, a coil spring disposed within the tube and bearing against the inner end of the rod for ejecting the rod from the tube when the cover of the body is released.

6. A device of the class described includ ing a body member, a movable rod threaded therethrough, an arm projecting from said body member, a hook formed at the outer end of said arm, a swiveled hook carried by the outer end of said rod whereby the same may be rotated to transfer a cable or the like onto the first mentioned hook.

7. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a body having a threaded bore, a rod threaded to mate there in and having a hook on one end, a tube secured to the body having a hook and adapt ed to receive the threaded rod, elastic means in the tube tending to expel the rod, means for releasing the threaded rod from the threaded bore, a fixed hook carried by the body, and means to rotate the threaded rod to feed same into the tube and bring its hook adjacent the fixed hookrcarried by the body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

THOMAS J. HUoiiEs. 

